Turkish PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk detained in the USA
Turkish Fulbright scholar Rümeysa Öztürk was detained by civil ICE officials as he left his home in Somerville to attend iftar. The incident was captured on security camera footage and shared on social media, showing officials surrounding Öztürk and attempting to forcibly take his phone.
Despite objections from Öztürk, he was handcuffed and taken into custody without any explanation from the ICE officials. His lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, expressed concern as they were unable to contact Öztürk or receive any updates on his situation.
Tufts University, where Öztürk is a doctoral student, also stated that they were not notified of his detention in any way. Friends of Öztürk expressed worry and reported that he was detained near his house by DHS agents.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned the detention, labeling it as part of a troubling trend targeting individuals with legal status. This comes amidst a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists and scholars in the US, with other similar cases recently reported.
The Turkish Embassy in Washington stated that they were closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps with US authorities. The detention of Rümeysa Öztürk has raised concerns about civil liberties and freedom of expression in the US, particularly for minority communities.
